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Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd’s Pies

I stand in the garden as the sun sinks below the green pines. Earthen colors of winter are more pronounced now. Pinecone laden branches sway in the wind and I treasure the stillness of nature, my sanctuary from the busyness of holiday to-dos.

In a season where packed holiday schedules and stress can manifest, carving out time for the gentleness of presence grows mindful connections with our family, our community and more importantly, ourselves. And while cooking nourishing meals often takes time and effort, there are times when we simply need a little help. Which is why crafting comfort food like these Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd’s Pies are a saving grace during the holidays. Festive enough to serve to guests (or fast enough for busy nights), these individual pies deliver fuss-freecomfort food and sumptuous flavors to your holiday table.

My tiny winter garden path at sunset.

Topped with the fluffiest mashed potatoes you’ll ever have, these Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd’s Pies don’t require a ton of energy or forethought. Unlike traditional Shepherd’s pie recipes that can take upwards of an hour or more, using the Instant Pot ensures these pies are ready in just 30 minutes. They’re nourishing and warming, yet full of classic flavors and good-for-you ingredients (like vitamin D2 touting mushrooms, protein-packed tempeh and pecans, and phytonutrient-rich leeks, carrots and more!).

Have you worked with an Instant Pot before? It’s surprisingly easy!

Red wine and a bit of vegetable broth marry a tempeh-pecan meaty crumble with winter vegetables and a fresh bouquet garni (comprised of rosemary, thyme, and sage). Served in ramekins and topped with hearty mashed potatoes, digging into these vegan shepherd’s pies are complex flavor bliss.

Nesting back inside with the twinkle of holiday lights, I grab a spoon and can hardly wait to warm-up with this little serving of comfort. Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, I hope you are able to create a little space for wellness and nourishment, with a simple recipe or two, that gives time back to you!Looking for more seasonal and/or self-care recipes?🌟 For a little “me time” try this Golden Chai Latte.
🌟Holiday appetizers are easy with these Hoisin-Glazed Vegan Meatballs.🌟 Santa approved cookies can be found here.

fresh herbs to top (I used a mixture of parsley, dill, sage and thyme)

Instructions

Add pecans, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt and Italian seasoning to a food processor. Pulse about 10 times to mix the pecans with the spices. (Do not over grind.)

Then add the cubed tempeh and tamari to the pecan mixture, and pulse lightly (about 20 more times) until the tempeh-pecan mixture comes together and is coarsely mixed.

Next set the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting. Add in the olive oil (3 tbsp of olive oil is a little more than what I’d normally work with, but I found adding a bit more oil up front avoided burning and sticking), the carrots, onions, celery and leeks. Sauté for roughly 5 minutes or so, then add the mushrooms and sauté for another couple of minutes.

Pour in the red wine, vegetable broth and add your bouquet garni (more on this in the Notes section) and tempeh-pecan meaty crumble.

Place your Instant Pot trivet into the Shepherd's pie mixture and sit the peeled potatoes on top.

Cancel the Sauté setting and change the setting to Manual for 12 minutes. Make sure your Instant Pot lid valve is set to “sealing.”

While the Instant Pot is working its magic, pre-heat the oven to broil.

Once the Instant Pot is done, transfer the potatoes to a food processor. Pour the almond milk over the top, add the vegan butter and puree until smooth. Do not over puree, or the potatoes will be hard to work with and glue-like.

Fold in the frozen peas to the vegan Shepherd's pie filling and spoon the filling into 6 large ramekins (or an 8 x 8 baking dish). Top each serving with the mashed potatoes. Transfer ramekins to a large baking sheet and place in the oven.

Broil for 5-10 minutes (this will vary depending on your oven — keep a close watch!) until the potatoes are golden brown on top.

Allow the vegan Shepherd's pies to cool ever so slightly, top with fresh herbs and enjoy!

Notes

To make a bouquet garni, simply tie baker's twine around several sprigs of fresh herbs (or use a muslin bag tied with string). Remove the bouquet garni before eating.

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Comments

Wow! I’m loving that you have an instant pot recipe! I got one for my birthday a few months ago and I’ve been wanting to expand beyond soups, rice and beans! I’m looking forward to trying this! Thank you, Shannon and Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas to you too, Jen! We must be on the same wavelength! I received an Instant Pot for my birthday and decided this holiday season is the perfect time to try out new recipes. Enjoy & have a wonderful rest of your week! 🙂

We loved the vegan shepherd’s pie. We don’t own an instant pot but had no trouble doing what we needed to without it to prepare this dish. The tempeh pecan crumble really does make this dish special. We will definitely put this in our regular dinner menu rotation during the cold Winter months.